Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis opens state for professional sports
Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, announced Wednesday that his state is open for professional sports and invited leagues to resume their season in the Sunshine State.
"All professional sports are welcome here for practicing and playing," DeSantis at a news conference Wednesday in Tallahassee. "What I would tell commissioners of leagues is, if you have a team in an area where they just won't let them operate, we'll find a place for you here in Florida."
DeSantis is the second governor to open his state for professional sports to resume amid this pandemic, following the lead of Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who announced on Tuesday that professional sports may resume in the state -- without fans -- on Saturday, as long as CDC guidelines are followed.
Several leagues have already looked at the idea of beginning or resuming their seasons in Florida, including the NBA, who is reportedly looking at Orlando to host one of the league's two conferences, and the MLB is considering holding a four-to-five week tournament there in June.
Florida has already hosted some sporting events since the COVID-19 pandemic forced league shutdowns. UFC 249 took place without spectators last weekend in Jacksonville, while the WWE has taped events at its Orlando facility.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 16, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Rasmus Dahlin | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| Tage Thompson | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Jack Quinn | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Zach Benson | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jake Evans | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jason Zucker | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Ivan Demidov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Konsta Helenius | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Zach Metsa | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Arber Xhekaj | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Bowen Byram | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Cole Caufield | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Lane Hutson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Michael Matheson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ryan McLeod | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Norris | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Mattias Samuelsson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Anderson | - | - | - | |
| Zachary Bolduc | - | - | - | |
| Alexandre Carrier | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||